After 28 games, the new-look Timberwolves are 13-15. That's about what Flip Saunders expected, he said.

"Of the record, when the season started, I thought we'd be right where we're at, or maybe 14-14, 15-13," the Wolves' first-year basketball president said. "I thought that was a very realistic goal. But we haven't finished games like I thought we would be able to do right now."

Granted, the Wolves haven't had the easiest schedule.

"We've played more road games (16) than anybody in the league," Saunders said. "We've had 15 time-zone changes, where we've gone from the Eastern time zone to the Midwest to the West and back again. And we had to go to Mexico City."

The Wolves, who despite their mediocre play are just one victory out of the playoff-race cutoff, have had their moments, though.

"At times, we've looked like we're one of the top five, six teams in the league," Saunders said. "And at other times, we've looked like we're one of the worst five or six teams in the league.

"We just have to get that consistency. From my perspective, you have (Kevin) Love, (Ricky) Rubio and (Nikola) Pekovic, who played only 15 minutes together all last year. Now you throw in (Kevin) Martin and (Corey) Brewer, who are big parts of what we're doing. So you've got five guys who are really playing together a lot for the first time.

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"That's why I'm optimistic."

Minnesota hosts the Washington Wizards (12-13) on Friday evening at Target Center. Saunders' son Ryan, like his father a former Gophers guard, is an assistant for the Wizards and has been home with his parents during the Christmas break.

"We'll make Ryan's Christmas miserable by defeating him on Friday," Saunders said.

It still looks like Adrian Peterson will be the only Viking chosen for the Pro Bowl team to be announced Friday evening on the NFL Network. The Pro Bowl will be Jan. 26 in Honolulu.

Vikings rookie standout Cordarrelle Patterson said his best Christmas present was a watch he received from fellow wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who was selected as Patterson's Secret Santa.

A Rolex?

"A simple $10 watch," Patterson said.

If the season ended today, the Wild would be in the NHL playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

It'll be interesting to see whether the Twins reach out to popular former Twin Charlie Manuel, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies to the 2008 World Series championship and who turns 70 next month, to be a special assistant at spring training.

Sorry to learn former Baltimore Orioles star Paul Blair died Thursday. He hit 134 major league home runs. I'll take credit for one of those.

Trevor Mbakwe, in his last Italian League game against Grissin Bon RE, scored just two points for Roma Virtus but had 21 rebounds. The former Gopher is averaging 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks while shooting 59 percent from the field.

Some people consider Mbakwe the best rookie in the Italian League.

Rick Rickert, 30, the former Gopher and Timberwolves second-round draft pick, is averaging 14 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Wakayama Trians in Japan, just outside Osaka.

The University of Minnesota, which sold about 3,100 tickets for last season's Meineke Car Bowl against Texas Tech in Houston, this year reports sales of 3,375 for Friday's Texas Bowl against Syracuse in Houston.

The Big Ten Network will have an all-star duo as analysts for Saturday night's Gophers men's basketball game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Williams Arena. Working the game will be Twins radio play-by-play voice Cory Provus and former Gophers guard Arriel McDonald.

DON'T PRINT THAT

Sunday afternoon's Vikings-Lions game at the Metrodome has no effect on the NFL playoffs -- both teams have played themselves out of the postseason. But for Minnesota, which is favored to win, it could have a big impact on next spring's draft.

The Vikings, currently with four victories, are tied with five other teams for the league's third-worst record. If results of final regular-season games Sunday go as expected, the Vikings would drop from the No. 3 overall pick in the draft to No. 8.

Oakland is a 12 1/2-point underdog to Denver. Jacksonville is an 11 1/2-point underdog to Indianapolis. Tampa Bay is a 12 1/2-point underdog to New Orleans. Cleveland is a 7-point underdog to Pittsburgh, and Atlanta is a 6 1/2-point underdog to Carolina.

It looks like Houston (2-13) will end up with the No. 1 pick in the draft, Washington (3-12) No. 2.

Regardless of where the Vikings end up picking in the first round -- No. 3 through 8 -- they still will have a decent chance of getting one of four quarterbacks: Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville, Blake Bortles of Central Florida, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M or Derek Carr of Fresno State. None, however, is considered a franchise QB.

If the Vikings were to lose on Sunday to the Lions, their chances of getting one of those four QBs would improve dramatically.

Competing with the Vikings for a QB in the draft are expected to be Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland and Oakland.

OVERHEARD

First-year Timberwolves basketball president Flip Saunders on his team's 13-15 start: "When I took the job, I said we have a lot of work to do. And we still do."